At the village gathering the local community of Baymunduz village had identified the lack of kindergarten as the most acute problem.
The great and long-awaited by all the residents event took place in Baymunduz village – the new kindergarten "Bayastan" opened its doors to young residents. It was eagerly awaited event by all the members of the community. Now, with the opening of the kindergarten, 90 children are able to receive pre-school education, and their parents have more free time for housekeeping and work.
The story of the kindergarten "Bayastan" began in 2012 at the village gathering, where the representatives of Local Self -Government (LSG) of Beshik Jon Aiyl Aimak and the residents found the lack of kindergarten as one of the most essential issues. Activities held to identify and prioritize the problems in the village were conducted with the support of Development Policy Institute’s Project "Strengthening Voice and Accountability of Citizens’ Participation and Oversight of Budget Processes Project in the Kyrgyz Republic" (Voice and Accountability Project) funded by the Government of Switzerland.
There were 330 preschool children in Baymunduz village, 183 of them - between the age of 3 to 6 years. Yet, all the children used to stay at home because there was no kindergarten to attend. It is well known that early childhood education is very important for a child's development. Early childhood education allows children- to adapt to daily routine, learn manners necessary to act in socially acceptable ways, possess skills and knowledge required to successfully begin school. In addition, the lack of kindergartens highly affected parents, mostly mothers, since they had to stay at home for up to 5-7 years to take care of their children. In other cases, children were left in their grandparents' care because both parents were at work.
At the village gathering the local community of Baymunduz village had identified the lack of kindergarten as the most acute problem. As it turned out, there was no available municipal building that could be used as a kindergarten, therefore it was decided to build a new one. Local authorities have allocated funds from the local budget for this purpose and zoned a plot of land for the construction. The village elder - Kerimbek Sakabaev was responsible for the collection of the permit documents such as the State Certificate to Land Plot, Construction Permit from the Office of Town Planning and Architecture, Design and estimate documentation. In addition, Ministry of Finance has allocated an incentive grant for the construction.
However, due to the shortage of funds the construction was interrupted and in 2013 the municipality applied for the Small Grants Program of Voice and Accountability Project. Under this Program, the municipality won 1 000 000 soms for the completion of construction works. The remaining amount was allocated from the local budget and residents of the village also made a contribution within their own means. Even families without preschool children and elderly made a contribution, because everyone understood the importance of the completion of kindergarten.
The total cost of construction amounted to 6 249 010 soms. The funds were received from the following sources: 2 199 010 soms from the local budget, 2 700 000 soms from the Ministry of Finance as incentive grant, 1 000 000 soms from the Small Grants Program of Voice and Accountability Project and 350 000 soms collected by local community.
It is worth noting that all materials for the construction of the building were purchased in accordance with the procedures of State procurement. Deputy Head of Beshik Jon aiyl okmotu and certified specialist in State procurement, Djumaly Burkanov noted that during the tendering process many documents provided by the contractors did not comply with the requirements. Nevertheless, contractor company "Abdilazov" had all the documentation in conformity, and since they requested the lowest payment for the work, they won the announced tender. The contractor company proved to be a reliable and trustworthy partner by finishing the construction efficiently and in accordance with the terms of the signed agreement.
During the construction the residents of the village once again showed their dedication and involvement in solving the problems of the village. According to the agreed schedule, each household of the village took turns to prepare dinner for the constructors. Additionally, before the opening of the kindergarten, the parents provided bed linens, dishes and carpets for three game rooms. Village elder Sakabaev K. gave 25 mattresses and private entrepreneur Temirov S. purchased 90 beds for children.
The new kindergarten gave 90 children from age 3 to 6 years an opportunity to learn and grow within an environment that is tailored to meet their academic and social needs. In addition, the new kindergarten provided an employment opportunity to 13 residents, who were employed as teachers, mentors and other service personnel. Parents, particularly mothers, now do not have to spend the whole day with children and they started looking employment opportunities.
Through the joint efforts of the community members, representatives of Local Self- Government, contractors, and kindergarten staff members the new kindergarten has opened up. Owing to the joint work, summoning up the resources and capabilities, the problem of lack of kindergarten has been solved successfully. Now we can proudly say that it our common victory.
Sarieva Gulzada, mother of 5 children: “We understand how it was important to open a kindergarten in our village. For example, I have a big family: my husband, our five children and myself. In the family, my husband is the only one who is working; I stay at home raising the children. Kindergarten is a chance for women like me, to have more time and go to work to earn money to help husbands. Therefore, every parent in the village helped to open the kindergarten”.
Author:
Seydieva Gulzat, Head of the kindergarten "Bayastan" Baymunduz village